This short film is set amid the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina (the one that hit New Orleans so badly a couple years back). MacArthur is having a horrible day. Someone has broken into his government-provided trailer and stolen his money. Then, he finds day work helping a middle-class White guy tear down his ruined home. While the guy who hired him sits back and watches TV, MacArthur and his pal do some very, very dirty and possibly dangerous work (with all the mold and contamination). MacArthur finds some hidden money, and since he's an honest guy, gives it to the home owner. Showing that the expression "no good deed goes unpunished", the guy not only doesn't give him a reward (perhaps a few extra dollars) but then proceeds to cheat him on his pay for the day's work! You've gotta feel sorry for this guy--it's a REAL bad day. Yet somehow, he remains positive. Later, however, when the White guy is acting rather patronizing towards them, MacArthur snaps and the film turns very dark.
While you can't excuse what he did, you certainly had some understanding for what makes a good person do evil. This gray area is what I really liked about the film--it didn't paint everything in clear terms but helped to give all new insight into race relations and violence. It made me think--and very few films ever try to do that! Exceptional and insightful--good story, acting and direction.
